


What Have I Done Wrong?

by Bass_Line



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Brief mention of depression, Chisato's complex to write but interesting too, Depression comes in many ways and doesn't necessarily have to have serious symptoms, F/F, Hagumi literally only has one speaking line, I don't want to try writing her again though, Sayo's not any better than Hagumi, Story's basically a series of misunderstandings and worries, That being said it's based off what I was told before, Wanted to try expanding the bands I use but..., valentine's day story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 04:49:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17780873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bass_Line/pseuds/Bass_Line
Summary: Kaoru gets herself slapped by her girlfriend but she doesn't know why.





	What Have I Done Wrong?

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! This is the first time that I centralise a story around members not belonging to either Roselia or Afterglow. As you can see below, the outcome's terrible and I still don't have a solid understanding on Kaoru and Chisato. Just shows how much thought was given to these two am I right?

"Hey Kaoru-san? I've written a poem, you mind hearing me out?" Misaki asked, waving Kaoru over to her side. Kaoru blushed, it wasn't every day that her girlfriend wanted her opinion on something, especially given her distaste towards Kaoru's dramatic personality.

"Of course Misaki, anything for you my darling. How have you captured the fleetingness of your subject if I may ask?" Misaki nodded, smoothing out a piece of paper that she was holding. Seeing that she was about to read out her poem, the other three members of Hello, Happy World! snuck closer to the couple, prepared to tease the songwriter. What they heard instead was shocking and in Kaoru's perspective, confusingly hurtful.

"Okay so it goes like this. 'Roses are red, violets are blue, go do it with Michelle, Kaoru I hate you'." Misaki read out, venom present in her voice. The glare sent towards Kaoru chilled the room the band was in, and also worrying Kaoru immensely. Kaoru reached out for Misaki's shoulder, but was harshly shrugged off.

"M-Misaki? D-Did I do something wrong?" Kaoru asked, racking her brains for something that could provide her with a clue to her misdeed. The other three members gulped, even Kokoro remained silent for once.  _'W-What have I done wrong? I made sure to stop calling the other girls 'little kittens' as what she had asked...'_

"Oh I don't know, take a hint." With that Misaki stormed out, leaving the remaining four members to gape in silence. Kaoru wanted to cry, but she did her best to resist the effects of the sadness that overwhelmed her body. Kanon took the guitarist's hand and rubbed her knuckles in a comforting manner, whispering words of reassurance to her. Hagumi and Kokoro weren't sure what to do, so they tried to run after Misaki, returning after getting yelled at for chasing after her.

"Kaoru-kun, is Mii-kun on her period?" Hagumi asked innocently, with Kaoru shaking her head numbly. "T-Then why is she mad at you?"

"I wish I knew Hagumi. I wish I knew."

* * *

"Have you tried contacting Misaki?" It was the next day, and Kaoru had decided to approach Lisa for advice. If Lisa was being honest, she too was at a loss for answers especially since she didn't know the context. Kaoru sighed, nodding in response as she held up her phone for Lisa to see. "Holy shit, you called her 69 times. I don't even know if I should make a joke about that or not."

"I just don't get it. Do you think she's tired of me? Am I not passionate enough for her?"

"What? No, I'm sure that's not it. Besides, you've stopped flirting with others right?"

"Yes... but I haven't stopped being a prince to people in need... I knew love is fleeting, but I never expected it to hurt worse like a dagger to my heart..." Kaoru remarked, wondering if her dramatic personality was the reason for Misaki's sudden change in attitude. Lisa patted Kaoru's shoulder, offering her a sympathetic look. "What should I do Lisa?"

"You could do some apologetic gesture? Preferably that doesn't include acting?"

"I... I guess? There's also one thing that Misaki said yesterday that struck as odd..." Kaoru replied, grabbing Lisa's attention. "She said 'go do it with Michelle', but I don't know what does she want me to do with Michelle!"

"Uh..." Lisa wasn't sure how to reply to Kaoru upon hearing the new piece of information.  _'Kaoru... still doesn't know that Misaki's Michelle right? Damn, how am I supposed to help her without shattering her sanity?'_

"... Do you think I should ask Michelle to help me ask Misaki? They're friends after all, and I don't think Misaki would want to hear from us..."

"T-That might not be a great idea, considering that she's being passive-aggressive..."

"Passive-aggressive? How does Misaki display such a complex mix of emotions?" Kaoru cocked her head, unsure how was Misaki being passive-aggressive with her poem. In fact, it was pretty direct in saying that she hated Kaoru. Lisa shook her head in disbelief, wondering how did Kaoru succeed in drama when she was unable to pick up on such emotion.

"If I'm right, Misaki's jealous of Michelle. Now, I don't know what you and... Michelle did together that made her like this, but it's safe to say that asking Michelle to help is a terrible idea." Lisa replied, hoping that she dissuaded Kaoru from asking the 'bear' to help her with love troubles. Kaoru nodded, considering her classmate's words. "... By the way, are you in a sexual relationship with Misaki?"

"I-!" Instantly, Kaoru blushed a bright red which told Lisa everything she needed to know. Lisa nodded thoughtfully, her face scrunching one up in disgust a second afterwards. "Lisa, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing." Lisa hastily replied, unable to tell Kaoru that she had just imagined the guitarist having sex with a bear mascot.  _'Bad Lisa, how could you even think of such kinky- not to mention horribly weird, sex?!'_

"... Maybe I'll ask Chi-chan if she can help me meet Misaki tomorrow..." Kaoru sighed, typing out a message to Chisato.  _'I hope she could help me convince Misaki to meet at least...'_

* * *

"M-Misaki-chan!" Misaki turned around, only to come face to face with Kanon. She sighed in irritation, about to turn away but her hand was tugged in an attempt to get her to stop. "Misaki-chan, I-I'm not here in Kaoru-chan's place."

"... Sure, like I'll believe that." Misaki wanted to rip her hand away from Kanon's but she felt guilty for even thinking of doing that to the innocent and kind girl. Besides, she did nothing wrong to begin with. Sighing at Kanon's pleading expression, she turned around once again to have eye contact with the drummer. "... Fine, only because I trust you. But I swear that if Kaoru-san somehow lets it slip that you're helping her-"

"I-I-I swear Misaki-chan! I'm only here to satisfy my queries!" Kanon immediately defended herself, noting that Misaki was truly angry at Kaoru. Misaki folded her arms defensively, waiting for Kanon to start asking her questions. "S-So um... why are you mad at Kaoru-chan?"

"... It's something you don't have to concern yourself with."

"U-Um... okay?" Kanon knew that as much as she got along with Misaki, the latter definitely wasn't the type to confide in others. Kind of like Sayo, except Sayo's more intense. "Y-You said something about Michelle yesterday..."

"That I did."

"Why are you angry at yourself then?" Misaki blinked, then realisation dawned on her. While the rest of the band would link her outburst to a third party interference as they didn't realise that Michelle wasn't a being on her own, Kanon knew that Michelle was Misaki, hence why she didn't understand the source of Misaki's frustration.

"Ahh... that's right, you're the only person in the band that knows about it..."

"F-Fueee?"

"No... um... it's kind of a stupid thing if you think about it..."

"It's not stupid! Misaki-chan's angry about something while Kaoru-chan is worried sick about you! T-That's not stupid at all!" Kanon replied, tears forming in her eyes. Misaki looked away guiltily, she had caused so much trouble for her kind senior over what? A petty one-sided fight that most likely left her band in shambles. "P-Please Misaki-chan... Can you tell me why were you angry at yourself?"

"... I'm not really mad myself, I'm bitter about Michelle's existence." Misaki admitted, understandably confusing the drummer. "Uh, how should I put it? You know how Kaoru-san's dumb enough to believe Michelle's real right?"

"D-Dumb might be a bit too harsh..."

"Yeah whatever, she's a huge dumbo. Anyways, she was sleeping over at my place a few days ago. While she was asleep, she muttered that she wanted to do it with Michelle, which got me pissed. There you have it, the reason why I lashed out yesterday."

"... What's wrong with Kaoru-chan wanting to do it with Michelle...?" Misaki gave Kanon a pointed look, which fell flat thanks to her blissfully unaware nature. "U-Um..."

"Kanon-chan, she meant that the dense dumbass wanted to have sex with that pink bear." Both girls turned around, coming face to face with a serene Chisato. "Basically, Misaki-chan here is jealous that Kao-chan the dumbass wants to fuck a bear."

"... How would that work?" Kanon asked, her mind racing with theories to how Kaoru could even have sex with a mascot. Misaki groaned, wondering how did Kanon survive through the school's sex education lessons. Chisato chuckled softly, clearly amused at her girlfriend's innocence. "C-Chisato-chan?!"

"Forget the technicalities Kanon-chan, Misaki-chan's jealous that Kaoru even had the idea of fucking someone else."

"... What Chisato-san said. The fact that Kaoru-san wants to fuck Michelle instead of me stings even more." Misaki mumbled, causing Kanon to gasp in realisation. Chisato, on the other hand, simply looked as though she was given the best Christmas present ever. "Chisato-san, you could at least dial back on the smiling."

"Whatever do you mean Misaki-chan?" Chisato smirked, unable to hide her amusement at Misaki's jealousy. "Jokes aside, you really should explain your concerns to that dense dumbass of yours. Kaoru definitely doesn't know that she sleeptalks."

"... I should huh?" Misaki rubbed the back of her neck guiltily, Chisato was right in implying that she had a fault to play in their currently strained relationship. Kanon nodded in relief, simply glad to see that things seemed to be improving.  _'... Now I feel bad for rejecting all of her calls, she probably just wanted to know why did I get mad at her...'_

"Oh by the way... Kaoru had asked me to get you to meet her tomorrow. I've already replied saying that you'll meet her outside CiRCLE at five tomorrow, so don't be late." Chisato casually said, an impish smile playing on her lips as she waved at the DJ. "I'll see you around then."

"Tomorrow at five...?" Misaki repeated, her face paling upon checking through her mental schedule. Kanon cocked her head, failing to see Misaki's worries. "Oh god, I have a shift tomorrow."

"F-Fueeee?! W-Will you be able to make it Misaki-chan?"

"I-I... I have to. As dumb as Kaoru-san is, dating her has made me happier than then time I got to see Kokoro break both her legs."

"... That  _can't_  be a good thing then...?"

* * *

"Yukina, please taste test this." Yukina groaned as Kaoru presented her with a batch of Michelle-shaped cookies, too sick of the dessert to even taste it again. Lisa giggled softly, silently offering to take Yukina's place by eating one of the cookies herself. "H-How is it Lisa?"

"Mm! It's good, with just the right amount of sweetness! You've really improved!" Lisa grinned, giving her classmate a thumbs up to support her statement. Kaoru beamed, something that neither Yukina nor Lisa had seen before. Yukina wasn't able to focus on Lisa's reply, instead going to her sofa to lie down. "Hey Yukina, you want some of Kaoru's?"

"Oh god, no. I've tasted at least 50 of them, I'm surprised that I'm not traumatised by now." Yukina weakly moaned, the mere mention of the dessert enough to send waves of nausea throughout her body. Lisa nodded understandingly, offering the cookies she baked to Kaoru. "... Lisa, why do you have to get Seta-san to taste it when it's already perfect?"

"I-I can't risk it, you know that!" Lisa blushed, nearly shoving the tray of cookies she was carrying towards Kaoru's flat chest. Kaoru nodded, adding an unrelated comment on how 'fleeting love could be'. "You  _know_  that I wanna impress Sayo..."

"Lisa, she eats your cookies almost every day. You're basically impressing her every single time you two meet."

"I-! Gah! Fine, I want to impress her even more then! Is that good enough?!"

"Honestly? I think she will be impressed if your work ethic and appearance suited her ideal tastes."

"W-What's wrong with my appearance?"

"Lisa, you know Sayo prefers you to keep yourself proper right?"

"T-This is my natural hair colour though?"

"What Yukina means is that... you should be true to yourself in the most fleeting way possible."

"I  _am_  being true to myself! No idea what fleeting means in that context though, but everything about me is 100 percent natural!" Lisa exclaimed, gesturing to herself. Sure, she might dress a little skimpily at times, but she was pretty sure that she kept herself neat while doing so. "The true me is being fashionably neat!"

"... She probably wants you to cover up like some girl from the 80s..." Yukina muttered, stifling the urge to laugh for she knew that if she did, cookies would come pouring out from her mouth. Lisa made a noise in protest, covering her chest with her arms. "Back to the main point, you don't have to impress her."

"That's right, all Sayo wants is a little..." Kaoru glanced in Lisa's direction, about to finish her statement with 'kitten' but choosing not to. "... puppy. That's right, all she wants is a little puppy."

"... I don't know whether to thank Okusawa-san for getting you to stop being a jerk, or to retch at your new catchphrase."

"Ahaha... Yukina, stop being salty over Kaoru misleading you into thinking that there were cats everywhere." Lisa chuckled at the memories of Yukina being on edge whenever Kaoru was nearby, with Kaoru none the wiser back then. "You should know better though."

"I mean, who calls girls 'little kittens'?! How can other girls think that you're a prince?! You're more like a sleazeball!" Yukina pointed a finger at Kaoru, whose face fell upon hearing how her past behaviour might have caused trouble to others, most noticeably Misaki and Chisato. Lisa shook her head, all she wanted was a peaceful baking session with Kaoru and Yukina, not an almost fistfight. Thankfully, Yukina was still too full to even make her way to Kaoru, let alone fight her.

"... Was that why Misaki was mad? I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding..." Lisa glared at Yukina, who shrank under her best friend's glare. Seconds later, she threw up a half-digested mess of cookies onto Lisa's sofa.

"Wow, this is way worse than the time the student council yelled at us for burning leaves in the courtyard... Poor Tsugumi." Lisa muttered to herself, sending Yukina up to the bathroom while she cleaned up the ruined sofa.  _'Ew, let's hope I can get the stain out...'_

* * *

"Here you go~" Misaki sighed, handing balloons to a group of kids as Michelle. It was almost five, yet she was still working as Michelle downtown. She hoped that her boss would swing by so that she could ask for an extended break, but she knew that he wouldn't be coming down anytime soon. She couldn't even send a text to Kaoru saying that she would be late as Michelle's paws were too stubby to type a single word on a smartphone. That, and Misaki could barely register what the paws were touching to begin with.  _'God, if I knew I'll be stuck doing overtime, I would have told Chisato-san to postpone the meeting...'_

"Oh my, I didn't expect you to still be inside Michelle." Misaki groaned, speak of the devil indeed. The golden retriever beside the actress barked loudly, cheerfully wagging his fluffy tail while pawing at Michelle. "Leon, Michelle's not free to play with you right now."

"... The dog's a fan of Michelle?"

"Hm? Oh yes, Leon loves Michelle. Why, he always begs me to play your band's performances just so he could have a glimpse of her. Aren't you just so popular?"

"First of all, fuck you and your sexual innuendos. Second of all, I need your help in contacting Kaoru-san." Misaki grumbled, she hated interacting with Chisato. It was a damn miracle Kanon loved her dearly. Chisato chuckled, a teasing smile on her flawless features as she waved her phone in front of Misaki. "Dude, I can't fucking type as this dumb bear."

"I know." Misaki wanted to strangle Chisato, but the number of people walking about as well as Michelle's shitty grip prevented her from carrying out the idea. Chisato laughed in amusement as she watched Misaki trying her best to restrain herself from strangling the actress, indulging in the DJ's request. "Alright, fine. I'll help you text Kaoru."

"Great, tell her I'll be running late because of my job."

"So what, I should tell her that you're in Michelle right now and ruin her?"

"Seriously, stop it with the innuendos." Chisato shrugged, a clear sign that she wouldn't stop any time soon. "And no, just be vague and tell her I'll be there in 30 minutes."

"Fine." Chisato replied monotonously, her fingers dexterously flying across the screen. "Done, I bought you some extra time."

"Great, do you think you can also pretend to be Michelle for a while?" Misaki asked, practically at her wits' end as she glanced at a nearby clock, the time reading 5.20 pm. Chisato snorted in response, with Leon barking happily. "What does  _that_ mean?"

"It means no Misaki-chan. Besides, I'm out walking Leon right now. Furthermore, even if all conditions are met, I still can't help you because of my height."

"So why did you refuse to help me?"

"Because I can." Misaki sighed, making a mental note to advise Kanon to break up with Chisato soon. After bowing slightly, Chisato and Leon left Misaki alone to hand out balloons. Misaki was growing more and more desperate, until she spotted someone that might be willing to help her if she played her cards right.

"Hey!" Misaki's target turned around, eventually pointing at herself in confusion. "Yes, you! Listen, I need a huge favour..."

* * *

"... Misaki's running late..." Kaoru sighed, glancing at her phone screen. Sure, Chisato had texted her to say that Misaki would be late, but even someone like Kaoru appreciated it if Misaki had done so by herself. Then again, they weren't exactly on speaking terms at the moment. "I wonder what's holding her up..."

"Kaoru-san!" Kaoru perked her head, her eyes widening at the sight of Misaki running towards her. She wasn't expecting to see Misaki in nothing but a black singlet and grey tights, both which showed off her surprisingly toned body. Once arriving at where Kaoru was, Misaki panted heavily. In fact, she looked like she was about to collapse any second. "Oh god, I think I'm gonna die."

"Are you-"

"Do  _not_  start with your fleeting shit right now."

"... I was merely about to express my concern, but fair enough." Kaoru wouldn't admit it, but she was pretty hurt that Misaki assumed she wasn't capable of showing empathy. Not that she would blame her, she  _did_ spend 80 percent of her words commenting about how almost everything was fleeting. Upon noticing Kaoru's wounded expression, Misaki placed a sweaty hand on Kaoru's shoulder. Thankfully for both of them, Kaoru's clothes absorbed the sweat so all the guitarist could register was a weight. "M-Misaki?"

"Sorry. For uh, being an ass. Shouldn't get mad at you even though I left work early." Misaki apologised, stricken with guilt now that she was calmer than yesterday. "If anything,  _you_  should be mad at  _me_."

"I didn't know you work part-time Misaki. What are you working as?" Misaki gulped, silently cursing why did Kaoru had to ask the million dollars question right off the bat.  _'From the way she's dressed... maybe at a gym? Ah but isn't she already swamped with contacting Michelle and live locations? She's so hardworking...'_

"... Kaoru-san, I can tell you but you have to promise to stop being dumb with your responses. Actually, don't even ask a single damn thing until I say you could. Understand?" Kaoru nodded, now worried that Misaki might be moonlighting as a criminal. With that thought now planted in her head, she was determined to help her girlfriend escape from the authorities. "Ahhhh... Now you're thinking weird."

"Am I that obvious?"

"Pretty much, yes. Anyways..." Misaki sucked in a breath, praying that Kaoru wouldn't freak out like what Hagumi did when Michelle didn't turn up for practice. She shuddered at that incident, thanks to that it was much harder to reveal that Michelle isn't an actual living bear with pink fur. "Michelle isn't real. Michelle is just a bear suit that I wear for you guys and during my part-time."

"... A suit?"

"Yes. Remember the time Hagumi dressed up at Mary Andromeda? It's the same with Michelle, Michelle is basically a bear version of Mary Andromeda." Misaki continued, hoping that her analogy was understood. "Hagumi was inside Mary Andromeda, and I was inside Michelle. Do you get it now?"

"Then what about all those times you told us that you had to contact Michelle to attend our practices?"

"Those were just excuses so that you guys won't question how does Michelle know when does the band practice. Haven't you thought about why I'm the only one who contacts Michelle outside lives or practice sessions? Or better yet, haven't you thought about how Michelle and I are never seen in the same room together?" Misaki explained, wondering how did Kaoru even lived her life accepting every single weird thing easily. Maybe that was the reason why she had deemed her girlfriend as part of the three idiots of her band.

"Um..." Kaoru wasn't sure how to respond, for her brain was starting to shut down from the overload of information. Yes, she had thought about how strange it was that Michelle refused to give anyone her contact number apart from Misaki. Yes, she had noticed that Misaki and Michelle were never seen together. No, she had never once realised that Misaki  _was_  Michelle. "... So basically... I've been fangirling over you on Kokoro's plane?"

"If you wanna go there, probably not. You fangirled over Michelle without knowing that Michelle's me. Which brings me to what I actually wanted to talk to you about."

"You don't like me fangirling over you?"

"I don't mi- no! That's completely off the mark!" Misaki groaned, how was it that she always got sidetracked whenever she was with Kaoru? Maybe she was an idiot herself. "No, I wanted to discuss with you about our... argument recently."

"... Oh." Kaoru smiled wryly, her secret mission to delay the possible despair of Misaki breaking up with her failing every second. "Um... please don't break up with me?"

"Okay... wait, no! How is it that you get me to say things that make our conversations sidetrack?! No, I'm not asking for a break up. I just wanted to air out some stuff that's related to our argument."

"... So we're not breaking up right?"

"Oh my god, do you have some low self-esteem or something? Because if so, you really should see someone for that. It's very bad and will cause you to end up like Sayo-san." Misaki exclaimed, slapping a hand over her mouth upon realising that she was once again sidetracked from what she wanted to say. "Gah! I wanted to tell you the reason why I got angry with you then!"

"Oh..." Kaoru chuckled nervously, she was aware that she had made the conversation awkward and Misaki was now one step closer from actually breaking up with her. "Was it because I said everything was fleeting?"

"Dude, are you trying to get me to break up with you?"

"I-I'll take it as a no then!" Kaoru wasn't sure why she was babbling whatever she truly thought that day, but somehow it felt as though it was bringing her closer to Misaki. Somehow. "... So, what's the actual reason?"

"... You remember the night when I slept over at your place?" Misaki started, a sigh escaping from her lips after realising that if she didn't interject, Kaoru would continue to misunderstand the situation which would make it messier than it originally was. Kaoru nodded, how could she forget such a passionate night? Just remembering it was enough to overheat her cheeks, it was simply impossible to burn it out from her memory. "Well... while you were sleeping, I head you mentioning 'let's do it Michelle'. That... kinda ticked me off. A lot. Hence why the cold shoulder."

"... Ah! You mean my dream? In that dream, Michelle was offering to teach me how to bake for Valentine's Day! I wanted to bake a cheesecake for you, so of course I accepted her offer." Kaoru replied, a confused frown etched onto her features as she replayed what Misaki had revealed prior to the main event. "... But... Did you not reveal that you're Michelle? Do you not like baking? Or do you not like the day itself?"

"What? N-No! Not that! I was... uh... how should I put it in your terms?"

"Disgruntled?"

"Let's just go with jealousy. Yeah, I was jealous that you rather sleep with a bear than me. In fact, I guess Chisato-san's right in saying that the thought of you preferring to sleep with anyone apart from me ticked me off." Misaki sighed, sometimes she wondered if Kaoru was actually just as naive as Kanon. That side of her was one of the many reasons she loved Kaoru and not Kanon (with the main reason that the latter was already dating Chisato). "I mean, I'm the one at fault since I blew up at you even though you didn't do anything wrong."

"Misaki darling, are you sure that's all it is to it? It seems that there's a deeper reason to which you dislike the idea of me... ah... making love to Michelle." Kaoru commented, tenderly placing a hand on Misaki's. Misaki raised both eyebrows in surprise, she hadn't really considered that there were any other reasons apart from hating the idea of getting cheated on. "Think about it, if the person you're dating is replaced with someone that knows who Michelle really is, would you still react the same way?"

 _'... I... Damn, and here I thought the band members are full of idiots. I guess what they lack in common sense, they make it up in empathy and understanding...'_ Misaki's shoulders slumped, eyeing her girlfriend tiredly as her lips curled upwards to form a faint smile. "You're right, there's more to it."

"I'm here for you Misaki." Misaki noted how her girlfriend offered her a kind smile as she waited patiently for Misaki to say something. Hell, Misaki could even spin lies to Kaoru and she would still be there to listen.

 _'Well fuck, what did I do in my past life to snag such a girlfriend?'_ Misaki chuckled to herself, gently squeezing Kaoru's hand as an indication that her feelings were received. "I guess I'm... scared that you love my outgoing side more than... well, my usual self."

"I don't suppose you could elaborate?"

"It's uh... It's kinda like how everyone loves Michelle... but not everyone loves Misaki the downer who puts a stop to your activities y'know? And well, I'm just scared that you don't love who I really am... or something. I'm not good with... with all these talking stuff. So... yeah, I guess that's it." Misaki cursed at her inability to hold a proper conversation, hoping that Kaoru understood the gist of it after Misaki managed to form out a vague outline of her thoughts. Kaoru nodded thoughtfully, seemingly trying her best to understand what her girlfriend was trying to convey. "Y-You know what, f-forget what I just said! It's just something silly on my part."

"... What do you love about me Misaki?" Was all Kaoru said, startling the girl in question with the sudden question. Misaki was about to ask for a clarification, but the pained look in Kaoru's ruby eyes dissuaded Misaki from doing so.

"Well... I guess I love all of you? I mean sure, you're too dramatic for my taste and honestly it's fucking pretentious but that doesn't mean that I don't love you for it. Also... I really love how you blush so damn cutely whenever those shitty romance movies have that happy kiss ending. I love how tender you can be whenever it's just the two of us, it really shows that there's more to you than that princely persona you like to don on for others... and there's a lot more, but I don't want my throat to run dry just by talking about how much I care for you."

"Fufu... Thank you for accepting all of me Misaki, do you wish to know how I see myself?"

"Uh... sure?" Misaki wasn't sure where was Kaoru going with the conversation, but she understood that Kaoru was trying to tell her something in her own way.  _'... I hope she gets to the point though, I could really_  use a drink...'

"I see myself in two ways. The first one is the me I show to everyone, I dub that Prince Kaoru. As for the second me... I dub that Coward Kaoru."

"Coward Kaoru? What is that?"

"... That would be the real me underneath all my... dramatics." Kaoru wryly smiled, breaking Misaki's heart upon witnessing Kaoru's rare display of vulnerability. "Sometimes I'm scared that you might one day leave me after witnessing my cowardly side. I try not to let that affect me, but I'm scared that you're indeed only in love with Prince Kaoru..."

"Kaoru-san, if anything, that's the side of you that turns me off." Misaki shook her head, grabbing Kaoru by her shoulders. "Kaoru-san, I love you for you. What you perceive as the cowardly side of you makes you more real in contrast to your dramatic side. That doesn't make your dramatic side any less real. From what I see, both sides make you Kaoru Seta. Without any of them, you're no longer the girl I fell in love with."

"That's exactly how I feel about you my darling." Kaoru whispered, removing one of Misaki's hands from her shoulder and caressing her knuckles gently. Misaki blinked, what was Kaoru trying to say with her display? "Michelle's just a part of you Misaki. Without her, you wouldn't be the Misaki we all know. Yet, without your usual practical nature, you wouldn't be the Misaki that  _I_  fell in love with. We can't reject any part of ourselves without losing who we are, so we should just embrace it."

"That's... Kaoru-san, you sure can say the wisest of things at times." Misaki smirked, relieved that Kaoru had basically expressed that she would be loved for who she was and not just parts of her. "I love everything about you, even though Prince Kaoru irritates me immensely."

"The feeling's mutual Misaki." Kaoru smiled innocently, pressing a chaste kiss to Misaki's lips. Misaki returned the kiss by leaning forward slightly to show that she was enjoying it, breaking apart seconds later. "Thank you for coming to see me immediately after your part-time job's over, I really appreciate it."

"Heh? Oh about that..." Misaki was about to explain, but a large figure that had its features blocked out by the setting sun approached the couple, dragging itself as it did so. "Hi Michelle, thanks for taking over my shift."

"..." The person in Michelle said nothing, opting to wave her hands wildly in an attempt to gesture her displeasure. "...!"

"Misaki darling, who's in Michelle right now?" Kaoru asked, noting that whoever was taking over Misaki certainly didn't enjoy doing so. "Is it Arisa perhaps?"

"Ah it's-" Misaki's words were cut off by a dull thud, which was revealed to be Lisa hugging Michelle as though her life depended on it. Following closely behind was Yukina and a German Shepherd on a leash, surprising the couple. "Uh, what's with the dog?"

"I swear Michelle, I hate my therapist and my psychiatrist! Who are they to tell me that I have depression?!" Lisa ranted, a rare sight given that it was coming from the cheerful bassist. Yukina simply shrugged, gently tugging on the leash she was holding onto as the dog started to wander away. "I just need cuddle therapy you hear?"

"Seta-san, Okusawa-san, good evening. The context is that Lisa's diagnosed with mild depression... and they suggested getting a pet since Lisa responds well to physical contact." Yukina explained, remembering that neither Misaki nor Kaoru were aware of Lisa's condition. Michelle seemed distressed, alternating between hugging Lisa and shooting looks at Misaki. "Lisa, they've already told you that your low self-esteem and constant anxiety are symptoms of depression."

"Yeah but still, you know how it's true that I'm the weakest link in Roselia! I just stated the truth, how did it result in me getting diagnosed with depression?" Lisa continued, tightening her grip around Michelle. "Why didn't we get a cat anyways? You love cats Yukina."

"Lisa, the pet's part of your therapy. It should be an animal that you prefer."

"Wow... I didn't expect Lisa-san of all people to suffer from depression..." Misaki commented, genuinely taken aback that Lisa was diagnosed with depression. She could think of other people who might fit into the description more, but then again, even cheerful people weren't spared from the condition. "Actually, why was she even referred to a psychiatrist?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have the answer. Oh by the way..." Kaoru held up a small bag filled with oddly shaped cookies, which Misaki accepted warily. "I assure you, Lisa and Yukina had helped me ensure its perfection."

"Oh thank god, I really don't think my substitute would want to fill in for me again. Right Michelle?" Misaki grinned cheekily, earning herself some flailing from the person inside Michelle. It was at this moment that both Yukina and Lisa realised that Misaki wasn't inside Michelle, hence the horrified looks on their faces.

"E-Ehhhhh?! Wait, how long have you been out of Michelle?!" Lisa asked, having finally noticed that Misaki was beside Kaoru and not in the suit as so she had thought. Yukina nodded curtly, embarrassed to admit that she too had assumed that Misaki was at her part-time job solely because Michelle was right in front of them. "... Then... who's inside Michelle...?"

"..." The person inside Michelle said nothing, grabbing the head and twisted it around. It was eventually removed with a slight pop, which revealed...

"S-S-Sayo?! Oh my god, I can't believe I've been hugging you for the past three minutes!" Lisa exclaimed, her face heating up almost instantly. Her face soon fell upon remembering their past conversation. "Oh my god, I can't believe I just admitted that I was diagnosed with depression in front of the girl that I love!"

"... That's very concerning Imai-san, as such I will do my utmost to help you." Sayo said, reaching out to hug Lisa with her Michelle arms. "Also, can I pet your new dog?"

"Wow Sayo-san, you sure have your priorities straight."

"It's a dog Okusawa-san, that's the best thing apart from Imai-san."

* * *

"So Kanon-chan, how is it between Misaki-chan and you know who?" Chisato asked, sipping her tea afterwards. She was on a date with Kanon at Hazawa Cafe, which was a miracle as they were both hopeless with directions in their own ways. "I trust that they're now on better terms?"

"Yep! They look so happy, even Kokoro said that it was too much!" Kanon beamed, relieved to see her friends getting along once again. "It's all thanks to you Chisato-chan!"

"I wouldn't attribute the success to just me. There  _are_  a few others who had a part to play in getting those two back together..." Chisato glanced over to the next table, placing the spotlight on Sayo and Lisa. "Without Sayo-chan, I'm sure Misaki-chan would never get to meet Kaoru on time."

"You're pure evil Shirasagi-san." Sayo muttered, grimacing as she downed her third cup of coffee. Lisa half-heartedly chuckled, unsure to how she could mediate any possible tension between them. "In any case, you could have helped Okusawa-san out by dressing as Michelle."

"The sizes were all wrong."

"Anyways, it all worked out in the end yeah? Kaoru and Misaki hashed out their problems, and I got together with Sayo! Yesterday was the best Valentine's Day ever right?" Lisa sighed, if she didn't say anything, she would be subjecting Kanon to be a victim in their girlfriends' glaring. Sayo nodded in agreement, her free hand reaching out to hold one of Lisa's hands. "S-Sayo?"

"Had I known that our feelings are mutual, I would have asked you out sooner."

"... And here I thought I avoided the cheesiness that comes with Valentine's and Kaoru..." Chisato grumbled, opting to ignore the romantic conversation occurring at the table beside her and to consume her tea in silence with her girlfriend. Kanon chuckled, simply contented to enjoy her strawberry-flavoured jellyfish-shaped cake in the presence of her actress girlfriend. "Well whatever, better an annoyingly lovesick Kao-chan than an annoyingly heartbroken one."

"Chisato-chan..."

"What?! She  _is_  annoying."

**Author's Note:**

> Uh before you guys kill me for making depression sound so trivial, Lisa isn't the main focus of this story. Furthermore like I've mentioned in the tagging section, depression can come in different forms and doesn't necessarily have to be 'serious' in order to be diagnosed as one.  
> That being said, if that really didn't turn out to be depression (even after I did some research) then the lady who diagnosed me should lose her job for diagnosing me wrong.


End file.
